Evanescence of Words: Why Record and Study Epitaphs on Gravestones?

When and how did my interest in old New England burying grounds originate? It happened back in the late 1980s. My ancestral home town, Greenwich, Connecticut, was approaching its 350th year in 1990. No one had performed a town wide survey of its cemeteries in decades. Many of us had noticed that a number of these sites were badly neglected. One of our own family burying grounds had been abandoned and uncared for in over 40 years. This simply would not do.

As I surveyed and studied each of Greenwich's over 63 cemeteries I noticed that a number of the markers featured epitaphs. It turned out that no one had ever made a record of them. Furthermore, many of the brownstone and marble grave markers were badly worn. In some cases the inscriptions were barely discernible. In time many more would be worn away by the elements, never to be seen nor read again.

The epitaphs provide readers with valuable insights. In Greenwich the majority of them cite biblical scripture. Yet others in poetic verse mourn the loss of loved ones over the centuries and in varied circumstances. We can learn a greta deal about the religious beliefs and challenges faced by those before us. Many make public expressions of faith, anguish, pain, love and acclamation. Others provide valuable documentation of careers and accomplishments.

I decided long ago to someday publish selected epitaphs from the town's cemeteries. That time has come. I will be using this blog to provide examples and visual representation of what is out there. I hope, too, that as imaging technology improves that faded inscriptions will be restored and documented again for present and future generations to ponder. Time will tell.

Each stone -like the individuals they immortalize- are part of the story of the history of this special place my family have continuously called home for over 350 years.